The present invention concerns a system for generating basis for decisions concerning the behaviour of a vehicle and/or of a driver of a vehicle. The invention also concerns a method of generating basis for decisions concerning the behaviour of a vehicle and/or of a driver of a vehicle and a vehicle comprising means which comprises basis for decisions for the behaviour of the vehicle.
As an example of a vehicle will below primarily an aeroplane be used. The vehicle in question may however be any kind of vehicle, for example a car, a boat, a helicopter etc. The invention is thus not limited to an aircraft. The invention primarily concerns the behaviour of real vehicles. Within the scope of the invention is however also the possibility that the vehicle is simulated. A vehicle simulator may for example be used to train a driver of a real vehicle.
A driver of a vehicle must often make quick decisions concerning how the vehicle is to be controlled. For example, a flight with an aeroplane requires many different decisions concerning the behaviour of the aeroplane, both concerning the actual flying of the aeroplane and concerning the execution of different missions. It therefore exists a desire to simplify for a driver to fly an aeroplane. In certain cases an aeroplane may also be unmanned. Such an unmanned aeroplane is often programmed to behave in a certain manner.
In order to simplify and make the operation of a vehicle more efficient it is common that the behaviour of the vehicle at least to a certain degree is made automatic. Furthermore, it is known that the driver of a vehicle may receive information concerning suitable measures that should be carried out concerning the behaviour of the vehicle.
There is however a need to simplify and to improve the production of basis for decisions for the behaviour of a vehicle or of a driver of a vehicle.
Prior known devices for the control of the behaviour of one or more vehicles involve different problems. For example, it is often difficult for a user without programming experience to make changes in the set of rules which control the behaviour. It may thereby be difficult to get an overview over the rules which control the vehicle. Furthermore, it may be difficult for a user to realise the consequences of an added rule in a longer list of rules for the behaviour of the vehicle in different situations. Furthermore, it may be time consuming and difficult to create new sets of rules which realistically describe the behaviour of the vehicle or of a driver of the vehicle.
A first purpose of the present invention is to achieve a system for generating basis for decisions concerning the behaviour of a vehicle and/or of a driver of a vehicle. A purpose is thereby that such a system should be obtained in a relatively simple manner and that the system should be easy to use also for people with limited knowledge concerning the details of the structure of the system. A further purpose is that it should be easy for a user to get an overview and to make changes in the rules which are intended to control said behaviour or to form the basis of said behaviour.
A second purpose of the present invention is to achieve a vehicle comprising means for simplifying the operation of the vehicle.
A third purpose of the present invention is to achieve a method of generating basis for decisions concerning the behaviour of a vehicle and/or of a driver of a vehicle. A purpose is thereby that the method has advantages corresponding to the above mentioned concerning the system.
The first purpose is achieved in that the system comprises:
a supervising unit which comprises at least one storage member which comprises a set of rules for how the driver of the vehicle and/or the vehicle shall behave in different situations, which supervising unit is arranged to administer the rules,
a user interface comprising first means for presenting information to a user of the system and second means for inputting instructions to said supervising unit such that a user with the help of said second means may modify said set of rules, wherein the system is arranged such that each rule comprises one of more predetermined and pre-programmed premises which may either be true or false and one or more predetermined and pre-programmed conclusions, wherein the system is arranged such that each premise in the rule is assigned an indicator which may indicate three different conditions, viz. a first condition which is that the premise shall be true, a second condition which is that the premise shall be false and a third condition which is that it does not matter whether the premise is true or false, and wherein at least one conclusion in the rule is suited to be executed if all of said premises fulfil the conditions set by the assigned indicators, and
adaptation means arranged to adapt said set of rules such that at least some of the rules which conclusions belonging thereto are suited to form the basis for decisions concerning the behaviour of a vehicle and/or of a driver of a vehicle.
Since the premises are assigned said indicators it is possible to in a simple manner make changes in a rule by changing one or more of said indicators. In order to make a change in a rule it is thus not always necessary to add or to remove premises or conclusions, it may instead be sufficient to change one or more of said indicators. The indicators may thus be seen as a kind of operators which determine the function of the respective premise. With the help of said adaptation means, the rules may be structured and selected such that they in a suitable manner form the basis for decisions concerning the behaviour.
According to an embodiment of the system, the system comprises transferring means arranged for transferring at least some of said set of rules and said basis for decisions to a presentation computer device which comprises means for presenting said basis for decisions to a driver of a vehicle while the vehicle is in operation. With the help of such a presentation computer device, a driver may receive recommendations concerning different behaviours. A conclusion which follows from the rules may thus be shown to the driver when the driver should execute that which the conclusion states. It should be noted that said means for presenting may concern visual as well as auditory information.
According to a further embodiment of the system, the system comprises transferring means arranged for transferring at least some of said set of rules and said basis for decisions to a command computer device which is arranged to control the behaviour of a vehicle without influence of a driver. The rules are thereby adapted to be used in a command computer device which automatically controls the behaviour of a vehicle. Of course, the system may comprise transferring means which adapts a set of rules both to a presentation computer device and to a command computer device. For example, certain behaviours may be suitable to be executed automatically while other behaviours suitably are presented to a driver as a recommended behaviour.
According to another embodiment of the system, the system is arranged such that the behaviour of said driver and/or of said vehicle is divided into a plurality of states for different situations in which the vehicle may be, wherein said plurality of states are divided into a network or a hierarchy of states, wherein the system is arranged to show, in response to a command from a user via said user interface, a window which illustrates said network or hierarchy of states. Through this embodiment, a user may get a good overview over different situations in which a vehicle may be. This makes it easier to make changes in the rules which control the vehicle in different situations. Suitably, the system is also arranged such that a user via said user interface may create new states. The user may thus in a simple manner modify the structure of the states.
According to another embodiment of the system, the system is arranged such that each state comprises a plurality of said rules which are divided into one or more rule-blocks which concern different aspects of the state, wherein the rule or rules which form part of a certain rule-block on a command from a user via said user interface are shown as a rule-block window. A user may thereby get a good overview over the rules which form part of a rule-block without being distracted by other rules which are not relevant to the rule-block in question.
According to another embodiment of the system, the system is arranged such that a rule is organised such that it may comprise several conclusions, wherein each conclusion is assigned an indicator which may indicate two different cases, a first case which indicates that the conclusion shall be executed or a second case which indicates that the conclusion shall not be executed, wherein a conclusion is meant to be executed if all of said premises fulfil the conditions set by the assigned indicators and the indicator of the conclusion indicates said first case. Thereby a good overview is achieved of different possible conclusions in connection with one or more rules and of which conclusion or conclusions that are to be executed.
According to another embodiment of the system, the system is arranged to show, in said rule-block window, all premises and conclusions which form part of the different rules which form part of a certain rule-block, wherein for each rule in the rule-block said indications which indicate said conditions and cases are shown as marks for the respective premises and conclusions. A user of the system will thereby get a good overview over all premises and conclusions which are relevant to the rule-block in question. Through said marks, a good overview is also achieved over the different premises and conclusions that are relevant to the different rules in the rule-block.
According to another embodiment of the system, the system is arranged such that a user with the help of said second means of the user interface may change the indications of said indicators. For example, the user may change said indications by one or a few depressions of a key on a keyboard or of a button on a computer mouse.
Said second purpose of the invention is achieved by a vehicle which comprises a presentation computer device which comprises at least said set of rules and said basis for decisions transferred to the presentation computer device according to the above mentioned embodiment of the system, wherein said presentation computer device also comprises said means for presenting said basis for decisions to a driver of the vehicle while the vehicle is in operation. A driver of a vehicle may thus obtain information concerning a suitable behaviour at different moments in time while the vehicle is in operation.
According to an embodiment of the vehicle, the presentation computer device is arranged to present at least some of said basis for decisions to a driver of the vehicle in response to a command from said driver. The driver may thus choose when recommended behaviour is to be presented and for example which kind of behaviour that is to be presented.
According to another embodiment of the vehicle, the presentation computer device is arranged to automatically present at least some of said basis for decisions to a driver of the vehicle without any special command from said driver. According to this embodiment, the presentation is thus carried out automatically without any need for the driver to request it.
The second purpose of the invention is also achieved by a vehicle which comprises a command computer device which comprises at least said set of rules and said basis for decisions transferred to the command computer device according to the above mentioned embodiment of the system, wherein said command computer device is arranged to control at least a part of the behaviour of a vehicle without influence of a driver. This automatic behaviour does thus not require any action by a driver. A driver may thus be seen to delegate certain kinds of behaviour to the command computer device. It is also possible that the command computer device takes care of all behaviour of the vehicle. This may for example be suitable in an unmanned aircraft. It is also possible that the vehicle comprises both a presentation computer device and a command computer device. These devices may also form part of one and the same computer device in the vehicle.
The third purpose of the invention is achieved by a method which comprises the steps to:
create a set of rules for how the driver of the vehicle and/or the vehicle shall behave in different situations,
provide a user interface comprising first means for presenting information to a user of the rules and second means for inputting instructions such that a user with the help of said second means may modify said set of rules, wherein said rules are created such that each rules comprises one or more predetermined premises which may either be true or false and one or more predetermined conclusions, wherein each premise in the rule is assigned an indicator which may indicate three different conditions, viz. a first condition which is that the premise shall be true, a second condition which is that the premise shall be false and a third condition which is that it does not matter whether the premise is true or false, and wherein at least one conclusion in the rule is suited to be executed if all of said premises fulfil the conditions set by the assigned indicators, and to
adapt at least some of said rules with conclusions belonging thereto to a form such that they are suited to form the basis for decisions concerning the behaviour of a vehicle and/or of a driver of a vehicle.
According to this method, advantages corresponding to those described above in connection with the system are achieved. Advantageous embodiments of the method are clear from the remaining claims and from the further description.